Dock Union Leader's Support of Potential Contract Underestimates the Impact of Technology and Highlights the Lack Of Unity With Unions Nationwide.
From WSWS : On February 25, over 40,000 East and Gulf Coast dockworkers will vote on a proposed six-year labor contract worked out by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). Almost a month after the last-minute announcement of the tentative agreement on January 8, the ILA released a 50-minute video, featuring pre-recorded statements by ILA President Harold J. Daggett and Vice President Dennis A. Daggett. While the video was ostensibly meant to play up the contract “highlights,” it shows in fact that the contract offer, which was reached to block a powerful strike, is a miserable sellout. Dockworkers must reject it by the widest possible margin, and organize themselves to prepare for action for a contract which actually meets their demands. The key issue which workers are prepared to strike over is the question of automation, which the port operators aim to use in order to cut thousands of jobs. They point to the far...